No cramping Kevin Pietersen

HAVING spent much of the summer with question marks never far from his name, Kevin Pietersen yesterday did his best to place a full stop to an unhappy period with a blistering return to form in England colours.

If the standard of opposition left something to be desired – all of England’s batsmen helped themselves to easy runs as they finished day one against Ranji Trophy side Haryana at 408-3 – the tone set by Pietersen was unmistakably impressive.

After cracking 110 off just 94 balls, an innings decorated with 16 sparkling boundaries and three disdainful sixes, Pietersen retired hurt apparently suffering from a touch of cramp.

It was, so England quickly assured, nothing to worry about. It could well have been cramp brought on by not being adequately stretched by an opposition who were in generous mood, feeding him plenty of hittable balls and putting him down twice.

Pietersen, who scored 23 against India A last week, was not the only one who took the opportunity presented: captain Alastair Cook fell three short of what would have been one of the softest centuries of his career and Nick Compton, with 74, Jonathan Trott with 46, and Ian Bell, who finished unbeaten on 57, all helped themselves.

It would be great if he could come out and play some innings like he has in recent times

Ian Bell

It was a day of relentless one-way traffic.

More will be revealed when England’s second-choice bowling attack get a chance later today as they attempt to put daylight between themselves and this below-par Ranji Trophy side and then bowl them out twice.

It should not in theory prove too difficult. Aside from Amit Mishra, who has played 13 Tests, Haryana is made up with inexperienced youngsters (four of them have just 13 first class matches between them) and journeymen.

Whatever the opposition, for now the return of KP’s swagger was just the fillip required, according to Bell, ahead of next Thursday’s first Test in Ahmedabad.

“Everything has gone really well for us as a group, and for Kevin,” he said.

“He’ll be very happy going into the first Test match with that kind of innings under his belt.”

England are wary of loading too much expectation at Pietersen’s door for all that performances in the swaggering style of yesterday invite it. “We don’t want to put too much pressure on him to be the main reason we win a Test series,” said Bell.

“It would be great if he could come out and play some innings like he has in recent times. We know if he gets in he can turn a Test match. So we want him in the best nick we can.”

Bell, who is set to miss the second Test to attend the birth of his first child, was also pleased with his own form, particularly given that he and Pietersen were afforded a rare glimpse of quality spin in the form of Mishra.

India coach Duncan Fletcher has engineered an almost entirely all-seam build-up for England in order to deny their batsmen practice against the slow bowlers.

Bell said: “It was good to start against a quality spinner like Mishra – the sort of thing that is going to happen in the Test matches.

“He has played a lot of Test cricket. To start against him was exactly what I needed,” he said.

Bell also had the latest on the seemingly fluctuating fortunes of fast bowlers Steve Finn and Stuart Broad, a day after batting coach Graham Gooch suggested their participation in the first Test looked in doubt.

The pair are both making encouraging progress from their respective thigh and heel injuries, with the vice-captain most likely to be fit enough to start the series.